Ernest Needham
Encyclopedia
Ernest 'Nudger' Needham (21 January 1873 – 8 March 1936) was an English footballer and cricket
er. He played football 14 times for England
and captained the side in 1901.
He was an outstanding left half who played for Sheffield United
from 1891 until 1910. He was instrumental in their promotion campaign of 1892-93 and then captained their team from 1895 to 1905. Under his captaincy, United won the Football League First Division
in 1898 and the FA Cup
in 1899 and 1902.
He played first-class cricket for Derbyshire
from 1901 to 1912.
. Having previously played as a forward for Waverley F.C. and Staveley Wanderers, Needham agreed to sign for United when they met his club, Staveley Town on 10 February 1891.
. Originally a right winger, injuries during his first season saw him move to left half.
Short yet solidly built and blessed with immense stamina, he was fast, resolute and brave. His consistently accomplished and energetic displays made him the star of the side and won him the title, 'the prince of half backs'. Writer Alfred Gibson made the following comments about Needham in 1906:
A fine shot, Needham possessed great ball control: "This is one of the secrets of his greatness for very seldom when he has the ball is he deprived of it, whilst the accuracy of his wing passes, and the telling force of his punches straight across the field to an unprotected wing, spell danger to any kind of defence."
After 554 appearances, including 464 League games
and 49 F.A. Cup ties, Needham retired from football. His final game for United came on 22 January 1910 against Bolton Wanderers
, and with Needham having played in every season in the Football League that United had played, it marked the end of a golden era for the Blades that they have never since matched.
Although Needham was missed by his native club Derby County
, his nephew George Wright Needham did play a few games for The Rams.
against Scotland
in April 1894. He was an England regular for many years and the first Sheffield United player to captain the England national side
. He represented England 16 times, and the Football League ten times.
Before playing for Derbyshire, Needham is recorded playing in a match for Liverpool and District against Cambridge University in 1898. He made his debut for Derbyshire
in June 1901 against a South African team, and scored 57 in his first innings but was out for a duck in the second. He played regularly every season until 1911. In 1903 he made his first century against Hampshire
. He scored 47 in his one innings in the game at Chesterfield in 1904 when visitors Essex
set an unwanted record by losing despite amassing 597 in their first innings. In 1907 Needham scored 119 against Hampshire and in 1908 scored three centuries. He scored 104 against Worcestershire
and in one match against Essex scored 107 and 104, although this was not enough to stave off defeat. In 1910 he made his top score of 159 against Leicestershire
and in 1911 he made 103 against Nottinghamshire
. In 1912 he played only three games for Derbyshire.
|-
!Season
!Division
!League Apps
!League Goals
!FA Cup Apps
!FA Cup Goals
!Other Apps
!Other Goals
!Total Apps
!Total Goals
|-
| 1891–92
| Northern League
| 0
| 0
| 3
| 1
| 13
| 3
| 16
| 4
|-
| 1892–93
| Division 2
| 20
| 5
| 2
| 2
| 11
| 1
| 33
| 8
|-
| 1893–94
| Division 1
| 28
| 3
| 1
| 0
| 6
| 0
| 35
| 3
|-
| 1894–95
| Division 1
| 26
| 0
| 3
| 0
| 3
| 0
| 32
| 0
|-
| 1895–96
| Division 1
| 24
| 3
| 3
| 2
| 4
| 0
| 31
| 5
|-
| 1896–97
| Division 1
| 29
| 6
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 29
| 6
|-
| 1897–98
| Division 1
| 29
| 8
| 2
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 31
| 9
|-
| 1898–99
| Division 1
| 29
| 6
| 9
| 2
| 1
| 0
| 39
| 8
|-
| 1899–1900
| Division 1
| 25
| 0
| 5
| 2
| 2
| 0
| 32
| 2
|-
| 1900–01
| Division 1
| 23
| 3
| 7
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 30
| 3
|-
| 1901–02
| Division 1
| 26
| 1
| 8
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 34
| 2
|-
| 1902–03
| Division 1
| 26
| 1
| 1
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 27
| 2
|-
| 1903–04
| Division 1
| 26
| 1
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 27
| 1
|-
| 1904–05
| Division 1
| 33
| 2
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 34
| 2
|-
| 1905–06
| Division 1
| 27
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 27
| 2
|-
| 1906–07
| Division 1
| 33
| 4
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 34
| 4
|-
| 1907–08
| Division 1
| 32
| 3
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 34
| 3
|-
| 1908–09
| Division 1
| 24
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 24
| 0
|-
| 1909–10
| Division 1
| 4
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 4
| 1
|-
|
| Total
| 464
| 49
| 49
| 12
| 41
| 4
| 554
| 65
|-
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He played football 14 times for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and captained the side in 1901.
He was an outstanding left half who played for Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
from 1891 until 1910. He was instrumental in their promotion campaign of 1892-93 and then captained their team from 1895 to 1905. Under his captaincy, United won the Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in 1898 and the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1899 and 1902.
He played first-class cricket for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
from 1901 to 1912.
Early career
Needham was born at Whittington Moor, ChesterfieldChesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
. Having previously played as a forward for Waverley F.C. and Staveley Wanderers, Needham agreed to sign for United when they met his club, Staveley Town on 10 February 1891.
Sheffield United
He made his debut for the Blades on 5 September 1891, in a pre-season game against Woolwich ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. Originally a right winger, injuries during his first season saw him move to left half.
Short yet solidly built and blessed with immense stamina, he was fast, resolute and brave. His consistently accomplished and energetic displays made him the star of the side and won him the title, 'the prince of half backs'. Writer Alfred Gibson made the following comments about Needham in 1906:
"There is one thing which has made Earnest Needham stand out of the common run of halves; he is neither a constructive nor a destructive half-back alone; he is both at once. One moment you will see him falling back to the defence of his own goal, or checking the speedy rush of his wing; the next, he is up with his forwards, feeding them to a nicety, and always making the best of every opening. Where he gets his pace from is a mystery. He never seems to be racing, yet he must be moving at racing pace; he never seems to be exhausted, yet in a big game he is practically doing three men's work."
A fine shot, Needham possessed great ball control: "This is one of the secrets of his greatness for very seldom when he has the ball is he deprived of it, whilst the accuracy of his wing passes, and the telling force of his punches straight across the field to an unprotected wing, spell danger to any kind of defence."
After 554 appearances, including 464 League games
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
and 49 F.A. Cup ties, Needham retired from football. His final game for United came on 22 January 1910 against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, and with Needham having played in every season in the Football League that United had played, it marked the end of a golden era for the Blades that they have never since matched.
Although Needham was missed by his native club Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, his nephew George Wright Needham did play a few games for The Rams.
International career
Needham made his debut for EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
in April 1894. He was an England regular for many years and the first Sheffield United player to captain the England national side
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. He represented England 16 times, and the Football League ten times.
Cricket career
Needham was a left-hand batsman who played 340 innings in 186 first class matches. He scored 6550 runs at 20.15, including seven centuries with a top score of 159. He was an occasional wicket-keeper, and as a right-arm medium pace bowler bowled 21 overs without taking a wicket.Before playing for Derbyshire, Needham is recorded playing in a match for Liverpool and District against Cambridge University in 1898. He made his debut for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
in June 1901 against a South African team, and scored 57 in his first innings but was out for a duck in the second. He played regularly every season until 1911. In 1903 he made his first century against Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
. He scored 47 in his one innings in the game at Chesterfield in 1904 when visitors Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
set an unwanted record by losing despite amassing 597 in their first innings. In 1907 Needham scored 119 against Hampshire and in 1908 scored three centuries. He scored 104 against Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
and in one match against Essex scored 107 and 104, although this was not enough to stave off defeat. In 1910 he made his top score of 159 against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
and in 1911 he made 103 against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
. In 1912 he played only three games for Derbyshire.
Author
Needham wrote a ninety page brochure titled "Association Football" which was published in 1901. From practical experience, Needham offered his own opinions on tactics and formation. It was well received upon publication. One periodical described it as a "valuable book by a practical expert."Sheffield United statistics
{|class=wikitable|-
!Season
!Division
!League Apps
!League Goals
!FA Cup Apps
!FA Cup Goals
!Other Apps
!Other Goals
!Total Apps
!Total Goals
|-
| 1891–92
| Northern League
| 0
| 0
| 3
| 1
| 13
| 3
| 16
| 4
|-
| 1892–93
| Division 2
| 20
| 5
| 2
| 2
| 11
| 1
| 33
| 8
|-
| 1893–94
| Division 1
| 28
| 3
| 1
| 0
| 6
| 0
| 35
| 3
|-
| 1894–95
| Division 1
| 26
| 0
| 3
| 0
| 3
| 0
| 32
| 0
|-
| 1895–96
| Division 1
| 24
| 3
| 3
| 2
| 4
| 0
| 31
| 5
|-
| 1896–97
| Division 1
| 29
| 6
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 29
| 6
|-
| 1897–98
| Division 1
| 29
| 8
| 2
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 31
| 9
|-
| 1898–99
| Division 1
| 29
| 6
| 9
| 2
| 1
| 0
| 39
| 8
|-
| 1899–1900
| Division 1
| 25
| 0
| 5
| 2
| 2
| 0
| 32
| 2
|-
| 1900–01
| Division 1
| 23
| 3
| 7
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 30
| 3
|-
| 1901–02
| Division 1
| 26
| 1
| 8
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 34
| 2
|-
| 1902–03
| Division 1
| 26
| 1
| 1
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 27
| 2
|-
| 1903–04
| Division 1
| 26
| 1
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 27
| 1
|-
| 1904–05
| Division 1
| 33
| 2
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 34
| 2
|-
| 1905–06
| Division 1
| 27
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 27
| 2
|-
| 1906–07
| Division 1
| 33
| 4
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 34
| 4
|-
| 1907–08
| Division 1
| 32
| 3
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 34
| 3
|-
| 1908–09
| Division 1
| 24
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 24
| 0
|-
| 1909–10
| Division 1
| 4
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 4
| 1
|-
|
| Total
| 464
| 49
| 49
| 12
| 41
| 4
| 554
| 65
|-
Honours
Sheffield UnitedSheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
- Football League Division OneFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
- Championship: 1897-981897-98 in English footballThe 1897–98 season was the 27th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
- Runner-up: 1896-971896-97 in English footballThe 1896–97 season was the 26th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Aston Villa became the second team to complete "the Double" of winning the Football League Championship and the FA Cup. No other team would complete the double for 64 years.The Cup Final was played on 10 April...
and 1899-001899-00 in English footballThe 1899–1900 season was the 29th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Chesterfield and Middlesbrough replaced Blackpool and Darwen in the Football League....
- Championship: 1897-98
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
- Winner: 1899, 1902
- Finalist: 1901